[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CUTS TO ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise because I am deeply concerned 
with respect to the President's budget, his proposed cuts to women and 
children. In particular, the budget of fiscal year 2007 fails on all 
accounts and provides insufficient funding for our Nation's greatest 
investment, its children.
  Domestic programs, as we know, are vital to women and children, 
particularly the WIC program, which will see its funding decline by 
almost $5 billion over the next 5 years. For low-income families who 
rely solely on WIC to feed their children and keep them healthy, these 
cuts are simply unacceptable.
  We will see a continued rise in poverty and food shortage among these 
families. The President's budget is also hurting women who work to 
provide for their families by cutting back on their health care.
  Despite the huge budget cuts made already to the Medicaid program in 
the budget reconciliation bill, the President proposes to slash another 
$17 billion over the next 5 years. Medicaid, as many of you know, helps 
women and children, the most vulnerable in our population. I urge the 
Congress to reject this morally irresponsible budget.

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